They didn't show group one, which was good because I had to get my dinner, so we're off with group two and.....

Guerassimenko and Futas SVK

bright teal dress for her...matching pants for him, white shirt , gold waistcoat...double twist to start....throw 3sal leaning with a step out.....hip lift which didn't look the best...s/s 2ax and she's gone....pairs spin...music is by Cirque du Soleil...slow part starts up and chris tells us that this is their chance to regroup.....steps and a nice lift where she's out flat on her stomach....s/s 2toes....round for s/s spins...camels are out of synch....and steps....throw2loop...again, well off axis....2ax to 2toes on which she struggles....axel was fine though!...s/s steps...not great unision, not great speed....loooks like her legs have gone....she's stuttering in her steps points out nicky.....no real flow....d/s, b/i.......no real confidence there either....pairs spin and they're done well ahead of the music. Well ahead ....they were there a good five seconds before the music stopped. She's 20 he's 22, and her hair is mostly brown with a russet stripe down the middle. Which clashes with her dress. Throw 3sal was landable.....on the platter lift ,she kept hold of his hands, no extension from her - she looked terrified!

marks 4.1-4.3....4.0-4.3...first place at the moment.

Bestandigova and Bestandig SLO

And her hair is still pink. All black for him, including the costume, apart from the gold line going diagonnally across his chest. Her dress is hardly there....a skirt, a band across her chest, and one arm, the rest flesh coloured. With gold accetns...and she gets the toe all wrong, he lands his......music is 5th Element....throw 2sal and they snatched at the takeoff...sloppy looking.....lift.....where she didn't let go of his hands either and I don't blame her....that looked dodgy....parins camel spins....good speed nicky tells us....split 2twist was very low....d/s b/o...not very low....2ax and she singled hers, into 2toes....lift....hip lift....against with the lack of letting go of the hands....positions in the air showed innovations said nicky....throw 2ax and down she goes...and she really had to work to keep up with him...music cahnges and it's more techno, and they do their pairs spin...star lift...and this time they let go....s/s steps....music sounds like it's going to fade any second....d/s where she catches her free foot and holds it...and they're done, and chris tells us that they're capable of loads loads better. Rushed from one element to the next and didn't finish anything off, and we can see him shake his head as they take their bows....nicky tells us that they didn't give themselves any room to breathe, no space to emphasis the high points...they were 7th last year and are now in 14th place....axel throw looked like it was just tiredness... he can't look...

marks 4.1-4.5....niether can she and he moves away from her....4.3-4.5...in the lead right now, their alloted slot.

Cobisi and De Pra ITA

Nice russet dress with other autumnal colours for her, matching sleeves for him, mostly brown waistcoat and trousers....not a disaster....and she puts two hand down on the 2ax but gets the toe loops....turn half short on triple twist , landed forwards.....double footed the throw 3loop horribly.....did well to stay up...nice bo d/s.....she lets her hips go too far back on landings chris says....lift with nice changes of position.....pairs spin.....2toe from her triple fromhim??? could be wrong....flying s/s camels...very slow and out of synch near the end....lift.......which looked like it was hard work....steps...looked like he nearly caught his toe, dipped a little forwards...s/s 2loops....straight line steps.....quite slow...unison ok but not great....lift with a spinny out....double sal throw from nowhere.....f/i death spiral.....and another one hwere he grabs her leg....pairs spin....and they're done....not sure about that...interesting choreography.....and he's still afroboy...and she never got her timing said Chris, struggled from start to finish....yep,not the height on the triple twist....nice arms movements and good position on the flat out on her stomach lift...ay yow! his little judder was one where she was leaning back and he was holding her arms she was low to the ice and her hair is in a ponytail and he ran over it with his skate! Now that's a way to get a haircut!

marks 4.2-4.6...4.2-4.7...and they lead at the moment. Held on to 13th place.

Ice resurface.

Group 3

And Sarah Jentgens and Mirko Mueller GER have been forced to retire because Mirko is sick! Jeanine pouts, and realises that her bad luck extends now to skaters that she even vaguely likes....the French are therefore up the creek without a paddle...or you know, whichever river flows through Lausanne?

Did you know that the German Olympic team have the best kit in the world? I only point this out because Chris and Nicky will not shut up about it! Just passing on the trivia gang!

Kautz and Jeschke GER

Who need to be in top eight...black dress for her with sparkles on chest....white shirt and black toursers for him...and he don't look bad....stop it! don't shout for them!....disaster will follow! twist....and she landed bad and they skidded and she nearly fell and enarly into boards...and he slipped on the triple toe, but he had it done...couldn't hold hte landing....she was fine...theow...and she's down the triple loop....lovely music, powerful style....lift.....moving quite slowly across the ice in that....seps....and she has to step out ot the 2ax, go into double loops....pairs spin....muchly travelling....thrwo triple toe horrbily double footed....b/o d/s..nicely done....music changes....posing stuff on the ice....lift...press up, into hip lift....nice smile on the out form her.....promenade up the ice....music begins to speed and the crowd begin to clap...lift with backwatds entry....and that was nice....crowd clap in appreciation....psirals hand in hand and she has a nice sprial it must be said....s/s flying cmales....nice timing on that ...really nice timing on that! f/i d/s....and they're done. And he just covers his face with his hands....oh I could just weep...you have to feel for them says chris...he couldn't compose himself after the triple twist which was heart in mouth stuff...seriously gang it was scary....yeah, she nearly wnet and he was hanging onto her, bent over at the middle and momentum and gravity and other natural forces contrived to carry them darn near to the barrier....

marks....4.4-4.8....they were in 9th....4.6-4.8...first across the board rightnow....

Borzenkova and Chuvilyaev RUS

11th place...yellow skirt and black top for her, black ensemble with yellow piping for him...and there's a problem with the music and they have to start again...Nicky also asks if he could maybe look at her in the routine, not to mention smile a bit more...sing it brotehr! throw 3loop nice ly done...into triple toes, she had to step out of hers and was short on rotation as well....landed forwards...split 2twist....nice high and easy....s/s triple sals into double toes....nicely done...s/s spins..flying camels...with illusion, as nicky deems it competent but lacking life. I am channelling nicky right now....this could put Nytol out of business...throw 3sal....lift......nicely done with one hand hold....and out of it on one hand...s/s inside spreadeagles which I like....nice extension from both on spirals....lift with backwards entry where shes upsidedown on his back....lift where he's in spiral hse's in front of him////f/i d/s....lift...wher she's gripping her leg in splits....crowd holler....you know if they just had some personality this would be great....it's called smiling people, look it up! pairs spin....and while you're at it, look at her man! and they finish with her holding onto him in charlotte position...crowd are roaring and I think that last lift did it...technically fantastic, lots and lots of content, but good god, they made the carvings on Mt Rushmore look animated! Of course, they didn't have much time to prep, but still!

marks...nicky doesn't think they get on that well...coach is sitting in the middle....5.0-5.2..this is bad for the Germans....5.0-5.4...number one with a bullet.

Shklover and Mintals EST

And hello to the leather look! Pleather must've been on sale...Matrix SDTK which explains it...I hope he's more animated than Keanu....not that that's hard unelss you're Andrei Chuvilyaev .....nice throw 2axel....triple twist....high and fast....thrwo 3sal....and its df with a step out....just as chris said it was going well....shes fown on the triple toe....lift...made that lookk easty with somersault dismount....steps around theice....looked like he got a knock coming out of the lift....spirals...his could be better...distinctly shaky....lift..hip lift with her legs together and swingy somersault dismount....she doubles tohe toe, as did he and then they do it again....she's losing confidence.....lift with backwaards entrey....she was infront of him the entire way and came down that way too....f/i d/s.....pairs spin....with natalya death spin....s/s flying camels.....slow and out of synch.....bestisquat from her with him in d/s position...which I'm not fond of and am too polite to write what it remidns me of...and anotehr pair that finish ahead of the music...I'm looking at the throw axel replay and I'm not convinced she didn't single it...landed on two feet says Chris now....not sure about that one....nicky says last 40 secs was almost like an afterthought.

Marks.....4.5-4.8...she's 18 on friday....4.5-4.9...in third place, behind germans and russians. but ahead of italians.

Berankova and Dlabola CZE

Really pretty mauvy blue dress for her...navy tuxey one piece for him, with blue cuffs and collar....nicelooking outfits....kinda gospelly start....one move where she shows her flexibility....s/s 2ax...squeaky but there....s/s triple toes coming up....long set ups....she doubles hers his is fine.....pianoy music....quarter turnshort on the triple twist....throw triple sal was lovely...fab height....f/i d/s nice and fast and low...one of the best I've seen tonight....if not the best so far....she does a spin where she's standing in a split whiel he skates around her in awe....lift where shes doing more splits, nice changes , good phasing with the music on that.....this is really pretty....throw triple toe where she was deep on the landing, pitching over but got it.....lift...nicely done with flip out....she singles her flip he doubles his, get s the 2toe....s/s sit....changes ofposition which he calls really well, great timing!....s/s steps....where she does little hoppy things as he lifts her....star lif....her leg is straight up...and the music is the day when you love me by raul de blasio I realise, having listened to E&B do it a gazillion times...nice death spiral...move where she was in charlotte position and he held her...pairs spin.....where she does half biellman and they're done. ANd I must ask, what it it about this girl and the splits? She takes every opportunity to show how flexible she is, although it comes across well...dick button will no doubt rave about the extenstion of her free leg and point of her toe....she finished 10th at euros in 95 in singles...lots of ice covered in throw triple toe....and they looked happy at the end of it......it was nice though, I liked it.

marks...8th in Cup of Russia, also went to Nations CUp 7th??? marks 5.0-5.3....5.0-5.4...in first on 6/3 split with the russians.

Sfikas and Seabrook GBR

As NIcky and Chris wave the Union Jack...these two are in black bottoms, with blue, bright royal blue near the top...First Night, the COnan the Destroyer....strart with arms extended and the Todd music...s/s triple sals to start...and synchronised splats...do they get marks for that? throw triple sal was rock solid....and shes still smiling....lift....with one hand and a flip out, nice.....not great height diff....double toes from both...straight line step....watch her sell says chris....star lift....throw and shes down on the loop....thye look dejected...come on keep it giong.....lift....that looks wobbly...glidy move where she leans back in his arms.....spirals...what a great spiral she had...move where she in o/s spreadeage, him facing her also in o/s s/e....twist, not v. high...f/i death spiral...steps...s/s camels to sitchange sit.....to uprigth....lost synch at the end...oomph seems to have gone and C&N are silent! s/s split jjimps....he getst he toes all wrong and doesnt do the second part of the combo...loses it also in s/s steps.....b/o d/s ...into pairs spin....he lifts and turns her upside down...and thye're done. Not a bad effort says Chris and they can smile at it....she kept the smile going from start to finish...he seemed to run out of gas I type, as NIcky says that his tank ran out halfway through...you see how I'm channeling nicky? It's quite freaksome...that sal throw was a beauty....and they look happy in k&c...

marks....4.5-4.6...4.6-4.9...they're fourth behind the germans.

Leray and Osseland FRA

Black dress for her with flowers on diagonal....black John curry suit for him, white shirt - hand in cast. Nya from Mission Impossible sdtk....joint 7th....twist a dboule...quite low...s/s trple toes next....and she sits down on her s.....and she slips on footwork, catches an edge....throw 3sal...and she nails it....lift with back entra....and she had a forced smile as he swings her upside down and around and out.....2ax...and they both ahve a swingy exit and shesits down on the 2flip (?) chris says that follows....slow part...no back to her dress, did I mention ? flyinf camels....to upright nice timing.....lift and she comes down, they didn't lock their arms in that....b/o d/s....music changes, crwod begin to clap....throw2ax...and scratchy landing but she got it....not a lot of elevation....crowd claps....lift whre she's again upside down and hanging on....nicely done ....again not much height diff....she does ina bauer as he skates...nice spiral sequence....f/i d/s,,,lovely low position on the ice....clapping of the hands flamenco style from them....steps into pairs spin....very slow though...although she does a nice layback in it....and they're done and she looks like she doesn't know what to feel....mostly relief chris thinks and I can't disagree....we're reminded that she used to be a singles skater, she's 26 he's 23....nicky is raving about their fingertips and the arm movements....it was her jumps that let her down...plenty of length on throw axel but not much height....

marks 4.4-4.8....4.3-4.9...fourth overall...just behind the germans ahead of the brits.

Chuveava and Palamarchuk UKR

Blue! Oh the bluey blueness of it all...starts with who wants to live forever....and they aer blue! bare midriff for her....nice high twist, a triple I think....s/s triple toes not great unision and this is not queen...she df 2ax, he put his hand down...lift..back entry....and down safely....throw 3sal is planned....and she nails it...now this is the queen i was promised....slow part....b/o d/s....position ok but not back....spirals....lifty moves in the steps....throwdouble loop with astep out, and double footed....pairs spin...lots of travel on it....move around theice...star lift with great extension from her....2axdid she dsingle...not sure about the 2toe after it either...think they both got them....flying camels.....out of synch near the end....s/s steps...nice unison f/if d/s...and nice transition into that...pairs spin with both in camels....and they're done. Lots of promise there but I think they both ran out of gas at the end....they look wrecked ,and it didn't have any oomph at all towards the end....lots of flow across the ice says nicky....could do more wit hte music he thinks ....she doesn't look happy there at the end...as nicky picks on her haircut, because its cut low and it's obscuring her face so that the audience and judges can't see it and she didn't throw her head back and look up and show them "Wow, look i did it and it's done and you can clap now."

marks 4.7-5.1....4.6-5.3....3rd on night,second overall.

Berankova and Dlabola lead...Germans are in 8th spot! 4th with four to go! Yay! And the Brits are 6th with four to go - ergo, top ten finish ! oh good lord, CHris and Nicky are going to be unbearable!

Ice resurface now.

Zagorska and Siudek POL

Lovely lovely cream dress for her....brown velvet waistcoat and trousers for him, cream shirt....fabulous costumes....nicest of the night so far...and I wouldn't have thought that cream would suit her with her colouring, but it so does....I'm torn between these sand the french for the bronze....taking their time...Polist movie sdtk, then Xotica.....s/s triple toes...and she just hands onto hers but its done....2axand again the same and into 2toes which are clean...she's not jumping well tonight but shes hanging in there...split triple was out of the top drawer....steps and nice unison....throw 2ax was huge! and cleanand secure....move with him in s/e and her lef extenede....into b/o d/s....steps down the ice...good unision and in time with the music...uppside down entry into lift with myriad changes of position incl star lift....and another one wehre she's in splits with swingy menosand dismount....the whole package says nicky....slow part now...where they're working on building up the mood...pairs cmale spin... change to her in camel him in sit holding her....she skates around him as he stands still....throw3sal and she leaned all ove rht eplace but she landed it! how is she doing that???? lift... star lift him in spread eagle....to normal lift dismount wehre she's upside down holding hisneck with her heels...nicely done moer small lits///lost time in s/s spins and moved away from one another...first glitch...lift where he picks her up and turns her around for the entry....death sprial starts with erh catching his leg, meant to do that, and into f/i d/s and theyr'e done! And that did not seem like four minutes long and the crowd holler! And that was great and I'm so happy for them! Loved it! Had to work hard for it. and she really had to try to keep that had off on the first jump...so strong! and some of those lifts...so innovative...nice length on the throw....all the lifts have different entries and exits...and fit in with the musci...chris calls them the whole package.

marks ... 5.5-5.7...good for first out...5.5-5.7....row of ones.

Abitbol and Bernadis FRA

My hands are like ice and my typing was bad enough to start with. And what the heck is with his outfit? He's a good looking man so they persist in making him look as unattractive as possible....tuxedo type thing with blue sparkly collar....the addams family....is he lurch? shes got a spiderweb skirt...silver top...hand on back....spiderwebby thing on front...great speed at start....yes! s/s 3toes...she extends hand he takes and kisses it....as you do...throw axel...2ax and it was huge and right on with the music....she dsingles her axel...did double toes at the end.....huge split 3twist...lift..banana lift.....he hold her with one arm....stops on centre ice...she goes uinder his legs... pairs sspin....change to another....good centreing....nice spiral from her....move where she catches her free leg...throw3loop and that was great! lift where he lift her under then up and great changes of position and over the back and over and out...pendulum effect going in nicky tells me! music speeds...they waltz up the ice...in a tango type fashion...flying sits...great timing on the change....sell baby sell and i'm liking this now....graet otocuhes...and the famous music gets the crowd going....straight line step...this is great...nicky agrees....love that sequence....lift.....helicopter effect....f/i d/s....change of hold in middle...and they're done! And the crowd love it! And so do Chris and Nicky....that was great! Technically fantastic, he lived every moment of it. Single axel aside, their jumps were better than the Poles. Tarasove choreographed it...can't you tell? Thing is the hand, theme of him kissing her arm which is something to do with the film nicky tells me...haven't seen the film! artistic mark must be high...here we go!

marks 5.4-5.7...boos abound....5.5-5.8...2 seconds the rest first. Nicky slates the 2 5.5s...no pun intended (his name is Nicky Slater)

Totmianina and Marinin RUS

Black trousers and reddy kinda dirty top for him....just a dirty colour dress for her. Reminds me of my white paint when the kids have got at it at the end of an art lesson...West Side Story....and he steps out of the triple loop which she did befreo him...he over- rotated it....3tiwst could've been dodgy butwas there....steps into threowtriple sal from nowhere....whistle blows.. and they stop...posy things on the ice....well integrated with music...s/s triple toes to 2toes...thye stop on the ice she stands and he circles her expressively...lift....where she goes into a chair and down with a turn...music goes to maria....lift...up and down with one hadn....throw 3sal ...nicely done....f/i d/s ... s/s flying camels ...to upright camel with leg bent, lose synch at the end...lift with her leg straight up and she comes down via his back...straight line steps...sell baby sell...spiral sequence....pairs spin...with them both in camels... her in half biellman hhim holding her...other positions and they're done. COmpletely different says Chris but technically very very good indeed. So elegant raves NIcky...music left the routine near the end he feels...structure of music works for their style...didn't once music got more syncopated...me, I preferred the French, but this was more technically....lifts lacked innovation....nicky like me would have these ahead of A&B on tech, not on pres and would have the french ahead. Just call me Nicola because I'm agreeing so much!

marks ..she cut her lace in the short , skated it with the boot becoming progressively looser... 5.6-5.8...5.7-5.9...a row of ones. Getting it for the elegance....5.8/5.9 from the FR judge!

Petrova and Tikhonov RUS

Black and white ziggy saggy tings for them, more black than white...music is Chess...say no more! You've got to love literal interpretation of a word. Really, you do. s/s 2ax...into trple toes which he doubles....crucial error? ....down the ice...triple sals and no mistake....split triple twist wehreshe caught him a little on the landing...not as assured as it could be....throw 3sal with big lean on the landing...lift back entry...flip out....s/s 2ax he was late getting leg out? pairs spin....slow piece....move with him in spiral her in front of him down low....more steps...throw triple toe with a step out and chris is gasping saying this could be crucial...i ma not letting myself hope!. lift with her on isde and him in spead eagle....no, nicky shut up! if I hope, bad things happen for the french! stop! straight line step....not great....s/s spins flying camel...slow slow slow...nicky thinks the costumes take from the line of the program...lift star lift....music at the same level not capturing him and the audience....fluip out on that lift...f//i d/s ....nicely done...and so are they. Well, this is courting disaster but for me this wasn't near the french. Nowhere near artistically, or even tech. Can't argue with having T&M first,but I'd have this 4th behind the poles. and she numped him on the twist.....right over the toe on that throw sal....toe loop throw late with left leg going back and a step out...the french would have been expecting their 6th bronze, and I refuse to let myself hope....really...I mean it...oh I could throw up....

marks.....5.4-5.8....5.8 from russai....ahem....5.5-5.9....3rd overall and the russian judge has them first! that;s ridiculous! and we see sarah and stephane in tears with teh silver! P&T had a couple of 4ths as well, and Chris and NIcky just thought that that might have made a difference with the maths and nicky says that he thinks the poles deserve the third and so do I.

But I'm thrilled for Sarah and Stephane!